The Ontario Government will provide up to $85.8 million (about $66.5 million U.S.) in funding to FCA Canada to support the production of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
The funding was announced at a special 20th anniversary event at the University of Windsor/FCA Research and Development Center by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Some of the money will be used for research at FCA’s R&D center in Windsor, called the Automotive Research and Development Centre (ARDC).
The funds will go toward advanced research at the ARDC, as well as training and technology enhancements at the Windsor Assembly Plant (WAP).
Unveiled at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show and built for the world exclusively at WAP, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers an estimated range of 48 km (30 miles) solely on zero-emissions electric power. In city driving, the industry’s first plug-in hybrid minivan is expected to deliver a respectable 80 MPGe based on EPA standards.
The ARDC employs 180 personnel near the WAP, where FCA will add 1,200 jobs to the existing 4,000 and upgrade the plant to make the Pacifica Hybrid. The ARDC focuses on design and engineering, working with universities in Ontario, and the results of some of its research in advanced powertrains and light-weighting will be found in the production version of the 2017 Chrysler Pacific Hybrid, FCA said.
“In the last 18 months, FCA has invested in excess of $2 billion and added over 1,200 new jobs for the benefit of our Canadian operations,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, FCA Canada. “We are grateful for the support of the Ontario government and appreciate our strong working relationship. We are proud of our world-class workforce, the new research capabilities of the ARDC and the exciting new Chrysler Pacifica.”
